How we score fidelity
Every homage on this site carries a fidelity score from 0 to 100. It measures one thing only: how closely a watch follows the design language of the original it pays homage to. It is published here, in full, so you can argue with it — that is the point.
The five components
Each homage is scored against the specific original on five weighted axes. We use spec sheets, maker photos, and the consensus of the enthusiast community (r/Watches, WatchUSeek, WatchCrunch, established reviewers) — not a single opinion.
| Axis | Weight | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| Dial & handset | 30 | Marker shape and layout, text placement, handset style, colour, and lume — the things your eye reads first. |
| Bezel | 20 | Bezel type and insert (dive, GMT 24h, tachymeter, fluted), material, and font. |
| Case & proportions | 25 | Case shape, lug design, crown guards, and — heavily — whether the diameter and thickness track the original. Wearing 6mm too large costs points. |
| Movement class | 15 | Whether the movement matches the original's character: automatic vs a meca-quartz standing in for a mechanical chronograph, GMT complication present or faked, hand-wind where it matters. |
| Spec parity | 10 | Water resistance, crystal (sapphire vs mineral), and bracelet/clasp quality relative to what the original is known for. |
How to read a score
90–100 — reads as the original at a glance to most enthusiasts; proportions and movement class both close. 80–89 — clearly the same design with one or two honest compromises (a larger case, a quartz-hybrid chrono). 65–79 — the flavour is there but a spec or the proportions give it away. Below 65 — a spiritual alternative with its own identity rather than a true homage; we include the best of these because the community reaches for them, and we say so plainly.
What we will never do
We never link watches that carry another brand's trademarked name or logo — those are counterfeits, not homages, and they are a different (illegal) thing. We use the word homage throughout and nominative comparison (“an homage to the Rolex Submariner”) only. Affiliate relationships never touch a score: fidelity is set from the rubric before any buy link is attached, and a brand paying more never moves a number.
Found a score you disagree with?
Good — the rubric exists so disagreement is about the axes, not a black box. Scores get revised as movements change, new versions ship, and consensus shifts. This page is the standard we hold ourselves to.